artretreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordonharrison art retreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordon harrison may 2018 1 nine-day art retreat with award-winning canadian landscape artist gordon harrison in provence, france and tuscany, italy in provence in tuscany We will visit and paint plein-air numerous picturesque The capital of the Italian renaissance known for its regions of Provence including: Aix-en-Provence, landscapes, artistic legacy and wines and home to following Cézanne’s footsteps and walking through the many figures influential in the history of art and science, painter’s life, from the house where he was born to his as well as museums like the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti final resting place in Saint-Pierre Cemetery; Saint-Rémy- Palace in Florence. We will visit and paint plein-air de-Provence where Van gogh painted the gardens of numerous picturesque regions of Tuscany Saint-Paul hospital while he was a patient; Avignon on Limited to 18 participants per session. Rooms are shared the Rhône river where the famous French song “Sur le by two participants and have their own private bathroom. Pont d’Avignon” was written; Vaison-la-Romaine, a medieval village and roman ruins; Châteauneuf-du- accommodation: Villa Il Palagio di Panzano In Chianti – Pape, famous for its red wine Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tuscany – Italy appellation d’origine contrôlée. dates – may 2019 accommodation: Villa les Dentelles in Beaumes-de- Venise – Provence – France Limited to 16 participants per session. Seven rooms are shared by two participants and one room is shared cost — $3000 for Provence and $3500 for Tuscany. by four participants. All rooms have their own private Includes coaching, accommodations, all meals at the bathroom. villa, easels and brushes. Excludes flights, transportation, dates – session one – depart may 5, 2018 shipping of paintings back to Canada and painting session two – depart may 15, 2018 material. art retreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordon harrison 3 inspiration The idea of an art retreat in Provence and Tuscany came about after our friends Ingrid and André invited us in 2017 to join them in Provence. So special thanks go to them for giving us the inspiration to add this to our journey. Special thanks also go to Suzanne, Francoise, Marc and Daniel — two wonderful French couples we met at our bed-and-breakfast in the Laurentians who took the time to share two days with us in Provence. And to our friends Michele and Suzanne who flew in to share the journey with us. I always say that art always brings beautiful people together in our lives. Special thanks also go to the lovely Dominique Whitehead who invited us for lunch at her home in Rochegude and served us a freshly ground cup of coffee out of her coffee roasting studio. I never felt that connected to someone in so little time. Dominique I will always cherish our chat and meeting you. Gordon and I spent two weeks in May 2017 visiting Provence and planning this retreat. It became quite the journey filled with emotion as we stood where the great master painters stood and painted Provence. Today these master painters continue to inspire millions of visitors and those who paint. Gordon and I wanted to share this journey with you. We are delighted that you are joining us. You will be staying in a 5 star villa, eating gastronomy food, drinking some of the best wines, and of course, painting; all in the beautiful landscape of Provence. Looking forward having you join us. Phil and Gordon art retreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordon harrison 5 In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport. Julia Child art retreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordon harrison 7 welcome to your new home – villa les dentelles Gordon and I had an opportunity to visit the villa and it is exceptional and luxurious. Villa les Dentelles is an ancient wine estate near the town of Beaumes-de-Venise. The name stems from the hills just behind the house: ‘Les Dentelles de Mont Mirail’, a very picturesque area between the plains of the Rhone valley and legendary Mt. Ventoux. The domain is located on the site of an ancient Roman Villa and is close to the beautiful Romanesque Chapel ‘Notre-Dame d’Aubune’. Beaumes-de-Venise is famous all over the world for its sweet ‘Muscat’ wines, appreciated as a fine desert wine or a cool aperitif. The town offers plenty of restaurants and terraces and can be easily reached by a footpath which is directly accessible from the property, a 10 minute walk. Arriving at the property, the first thing that stands out are the huge centenary plane trees protecting the house and the courtyard from the mid summer sun. Ample shaded parking is available. The house has been renovated recently to a very high standard. All floors are stone or wood and all doors, windows, shutters and wall panels are of beautiful French oak. There are two spacious kitchens, tastefully designed and equipped to the latest standards. All bedding is of the highest quality. The whole house is equipped with under floor heating, making it perfect for off-season stays as well. In front of the house is a courtyard dominated by a beautiful restored façade. The courtyard opens up onto the parking and ‘jeu-de-boules’ area. Just behind the courtyard you’ll find the magnificent pool (12x6m) with adjacent fully equipped pool house, overlooking the vineries and the plains of the Rhone valley up to ‘Les Alpilles’, near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Villa les Dentelles is situated at walking distance from the charming Provencal village of Beaumes-de-Venise, where you will find shops, restaurants and bars. It’s a 90 minute drive from Marseille Provence Airport, 30 minutes from Avignon, 1 hour from the sea and 60 minutes from Aix-en-Provence. art retreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordon harrison 9 I dream my painting and I paint my dream. Vincent van Gogh art retreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordon harrison 11 3 87 6 1 5 A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art. 4 PROVENCE Paul Cézanne 2 art retreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordon harrison 13 we arrive in provence Arrive at l’Aéroport de Marseille in Provence. Bienvenue à Provence! Move your clock ahead 6 hours. Marseille is located 103 kilometers – 1 hour, 22 minutes from the villa. Wait for the group to arrive. Walk out of the airport to the car rental location across the road from the airport. The two identified drivers per vehicle are to sign the documents. Make sure to add damage insurance waiver, that you have a GPS and to inspect the vehicle very carefully. Set GPS to 846, route de Vacqueyras 84 190 Beaumes-de-Venise. Hit the road Jack! We head for Villa Les Dentelles in Beaumes-de-Venise. Follow attached directions once you get near where the large hands monument is in the roundabout. The villa is 50 meters away. Our cellular number 613-806-6853 and email is [email protected]. It will take you about 1 hour, 22 minutes to arrive at the villa. Spend the day at the villa. Rooms will be allocated based on preferences and order of registration. We will review the program for the week. Cocktails and dinner will be served at the villa. art retreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordon harrison day 1 15 plein-air painting — aix-en-provence Located 104 kilometers – 1 hour 10 minutes from the villa. Today you will be painting plein-air on Le Terrain des Artistes where Paul Cézanne painted. You will be painting a scene of Sainte-Victoire – one of the views most painted by the great masterpainter. Parking and directions Set your GPS to the following address – 9 Paul Cézanne, Aix-en-Provence. Park your vehicle on chemin Marguerite. To get there, drive to Atelier Paul Cézanne and continue up the road and turn left on Filipi and first right is chemin Marguerite. Visit to Paul Cézanne’s studio (and toilets) You can walk down Paul Cézanne street to l’Atelier Paul Cézanne (a 10 minute walk) during the plein-air session and visit the grounds and studio of his very last studio on the second floor of the building. Cézanne painted mostly in his studio and at times on Le terrain des Artistes where he painted Sainte-Victoire. There is small fee to visit his studio. There is no fee to visit the gardens and souvenir shop. Lunch and parking Around 1 pm – once your plein-air painting is completed, take all supplies and painting to your vehicle. Move your day 2 vehicle into the parking garage Le Parking Pasteur located at 1, avenue Pasteur at the bottom of Paul Cézanne street. Lunch will be at Café le Grillon located at 49 cours Mirabeau in the old historical town of Aix-en-Provence. To get there, walk all the way down Paul Cézanne street although the street will change names along the way. At the very end, turn left on rue Espariat and then turn right on the first street – rue Clémenceau – and walk up to les Cours Mirabeau. The café is on your left at the corner. Lunch will cost you about 15 – 20 euros. art retreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordon harrison 17 Cours Mirabeau is one of the most popular and lively places in Aix-en-Provence. It is lined with many cafés, one of the most famous being Les Deux Garçons and during its history was frequented by famous French cultural figures – Paul Cézanne, Émile Zola and Albert Camus.